Experts say a proposal to move all Palestinians out of Gaza and remake it as a U.S. territory would be time-consuming, extraordinarily costly and probably a violation of international law.

Mad” is how one Middle East source reacted to US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a “takeover” of Gaza. So why would someone well versed in Trumpian tactics and the nuance of Middle East diplomacy give such an undiplomatic assessment?

In interviews, some Palestinians said they would rather leave Gaza, given the inescapable devastation — but the decision was theirs, not Trump’s, to make.